Stress in the Speech Stream (SSS) is a pronunciation
text that is an invaluable resource for pronunciation teachers. SSS
has two intended audiences: First, it is for intermediate and advanced
level ESL learners who want to become more intelligible speakers of English.
It focuses on rhythm, including work on stress-timing, word stress, weak
forms, contractions, blending, linking, etc. Equally important, SSS
is intended for language specialists and teachers who want to learn about
the regularities in English pronunciation and how they can be predicted
through English spelling. These two audiences contribute to
the look and format of the book. Rather than being a minimalist pronunciation
text, the book is comprehensive and includes theoretical rationales as
well as teaching exercises. SSS is intended to be the primary coursebook
for a course devoted to pronunciation, and it is difficult to adapt and
use parts of the lessons and units without using the entire unit.
The book is carefully graded and is meant to be used from beginning to
end, without jumping around. There is enough material in SSS
to comfortably cover a two semester course.

SSS includes exercises for perception and production
of English sounds, rhythm, and melody, . . . but the most interesting (and
important) feature is its focus on "prediction." It answers some
commonly held beliefs (e.g., that English spelling is capricious, that
English word stress is unpredictable, and that suprasegmental pronunciation
is irregular) by providing a comprehensive treatment of predictable regularities
in English. The text emphasizes formulae to predict vowel pronunciations
and word stress from spelling. SSS also includes the most up-to-date
summary available of what is known about the intricacies of nucleus placement,
going far beyond the presentations of given and new information found in
most textbooks and other teacher resource books.

Some potential difficulties
for teachers and students using SSS are its text-intensive presentation,
a prescribed teacher routine that includes directions to the teacher in
the lessons, and a heavily cognitive approach to pronunciation learning.
The book is best for advanced, motivated learners who like to learn language
through the use of rules (i.e., analytic learners).
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In a teacher training course, the text would be invaluable because
of its ability to explain the regularities of English spelling. Many
of these regularities would be valuable in adapted form in any oral communication
or pronunciation class. Simply being aware of the regularities would
allow teachers to answer commonly asked questions about how to connect
spelling to pronunciation in English. The text includes answers to
approximately half of the problems in each exercise, so that students can
self-correct. A Teacher's Guide, which includes additional theoretical
background, suggestions for presentation, review materials, texts &
quizzes, and the rest of the answers, is also available. Individual
students or language labs can purchase cassette tape recordings of the
materials, as well. Videotapes of the author teaching the lessons
are available, and would be invaluable in learning to teach with the book.
For information, contact the author directly (address below).

I taught pronunciation from this book for two years at the university
level, and found that its approach does work. I continue to include
ideas and exercises based on SSS in all my pronunciation classes where
they are among the most appreciated parts of the course.

NOTE: SSS is temporarily out-of-print,
but can be acquired through the author, Wayne Dickerson. Address:
English as an International Language, 3070 FLB, 707 S. Mathews, Urbana,
IL 61801. Phone: (217) 333-1506. Fax (217) 244-3050.
email: dickrson@uiuc.eduReturn to Top

Many of the same word stress and nucleus placement
regularities are available in a new pronunciation book/series, Speechcraft:
Discourse Pronunciation for Advanced Learners and associated workbooks,
Speechcraft: Workbook for International TA Discourse, and
Speechcraft: Workbook for Academic Discourse, by Laura D.
Hahn and Wayne Dickerson, published by the University of Michigan Press.
Extensive explanations of the word stress rules in SSS can also be found
in Chapter 9 of Teaching Pronunciation (1996), by Marianne Celce-Murcia,
Donna Brinton, and Janet Goodwin. Cambridge University Press.Return to Top

Contributor:

Dr. John LevisAssistant Professor, English as a Second LanguageDept. of Foreign Languages and LiteraturesBox 8106, North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh NC 27695-8106(919) 515-9299; (919) 515-6981 (fax)